Ideally, you want to transplant when dormant, but if your perennial is already showing signs of life (which they usually will be by the time you purchase them from garden centers), thats ok too.  Your goal is to get them out of their pots, and transplanted with some soil amendments as soon as the ground is workable.  So basically, any time after this coating of snow melts since the ground is no longer frozen solid.

For many parts of the U.S., Spring has already sprung or is just around the corner. It’s an exciting time for gardeners.

MID-ATLANTIC REGION

Hold off on planting your Summer bulbs and tubers until the soil warms up and dries, and plant shrubs when the ground warms. You’ll also want to wait on planting vegetables and fruits until the danger of frost has passed and the ground is no longer frozen and is actually workable.

MIDWEST REGION

Frost is also an issue in many Midwestern states during the month of March, so you’ll want to start growing your seeds indoors. You can also cut back grasses, as well as finish pruning shrubs. Start spraying fruit trees.

NORTHEAST REGION

It’s still rather cold in the Northeast in March, so like the Midwest, you’ll want to start your warm season seeds indoors and keep an eye on plant crowns that might have heaved out of the ground during a thaw.

SOUTHEAST REGION

Unlike the Northern parts of the country, in the Southeast you can start actually planting things in the ground. This is an excellent time to plant cool season vegetables such as lettuce, peas, root veggies, cabbage, broccoli, chard, and greens. You can also plant cool season flowers and berry bushes.

SOUTHWEST REGION

This portion can also start planting things outdoors beginning in March, but freezes are still possible so you’ll want to keep covers on hand. You can start planting your summer bulbs, as well as beets, greens, lettuce, potatoes, and corn. Indoors, you’ll want to start growing your eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, squash and melons – it’s still a little too cold for them. If gardening is your cup of tea, it might be incredibly beneficial for you to utilize equipment such as the best plant hangers.

March is the time to start thinking about planting outdoors in the garden. As soon as the soil is dry enough to work you can get some of the following seeds directly sown outdoors in the soil. I would recommend warming your soil first.

Onions

Get those onion seeds growing. Be careful to select an onion variety appropriate for your garden zone. Northern areas should plant long day onions. Southern regions should plant short day onions. You can plant onions by seedling or by sets as early as 6 weeks before your last frost. Planting them this early gives them plenty of cool weather to get a big head start on the growing season.

Root crops

You can direct sow seeds for plants like beets, turnips, radishes and carrots as early as 8 weeks before your first frost. Planting carrots by mid-July yields a fall crop that will keep in the garden until used. Warming the soil first helps. Once they have germinated a little protection from frost on really cold nights will help them thrive. Try using some fabric row cover for protection.

Peas

Peas are very hardy plants, especially when they are smaller. Try to get peas planted at least 8 weeks before my last frost date. For us that means mid March. I get the soil warmed up for a week or two first and plant as soon as I can work the soil!

Leafy Greens

Once your soil is dry enough to work you can start sowing your first succession plantings on all your leafy greens. Lettuces, spinach, chard and more. Spinach is more of a cool weather vegetable and will produce until hot weather of summer. Planting in early March will ensure you have plenty of harvest before bolting. Again warming the soil first and then protecting with a light row fabric will help these early plantings to flourish.

Potatoes

If you have the protection of a cold frame or a hoop house you can also get an extra early crop of potatoes planted. T to get first potatoes planted 8 weeks before the first frost but please note that you must protect the plants from frost!

Tomatoes

The most popular garden vegetable. Growing tomatoes is not only fun but treats you to some of the best tasting fruits in the world. Tomatoes come in many colors, shapes, taste, and sizes. Grow a few varieties every year to find your favorites.

Summer Squash

Summer squash sowing in June will lead to fresh squash and zucchini in July and August.

Peppers

Fresh, crisp peppers are a garden favorite. Peppers take up little space and can produce high yields when planted close together. Plant as many different varieties as possible. They come small, big, hot, mild, and an array of different colors.

Cabbage Family

You can get seedlings started indoors for plants like cabbage, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, collards and cauliflower. Seedlings for these plants will be ready to move outdoors in about 6 weeks, so if started early they can still be ready to plant in the garden by mid April. All of these plants are pretty hardy.

Planting many seeds now in March will lead you to a wonderful harvest this spring starting in late April.